Thursday, June 18, 2009

Putting on a conference is a bit like organizing a wedding. I should know – I did both last year! Both take a lot of planning and forethought to make sure all the right people are invited, meet each other and everyone has fun. But like a wedding, there is a feeling of anti-climax once it is over.

It’s the day after, and we’re surrounded by boxes – leftovers from the event. However, clearly the memory of the day is not over for you and it has been wonderful to hear the feedback from our “guests.” It would appear that everyone did have a good time; that they connected with the right people, and left a little bit more confident, knowledgeable and inspired than when they arrived.

In the interview with CH TV, I was asked why the conference was important. My answer – there’s strength to be gained from hearing each other’s stories – not just the speakers – but the women participating in the conference. We learn so much from each other.

Believe it or not, we’re already thinking about what we can do next year. Hope to see you at the 4th Journey to Success Conference.

Monday, June 08, 2009

This weekend I went on a retreat with six other women, four of whom I had never met before. So I left Friday feeling a little nervous about how the weekend would unfold, and with my British reserve, not wanting to give away too much of myself.

It turned out to be an amazing experience, as we opened up and shared our lives with one another. There was laughter, there were tears. Five of us owned our own businesses, so we understood the pressures we each faced, while another had gone through hell and back with the demise of a family business.

Even though we didn’t know each other, we were able to reach out and provide support, share words of wisdom and talk about our wishes for the future. But what really struck me was that as quick as we were to tell each other to stop putting ourselves last on the “to do” list, none of us were very good at taking our own advice.

We are all so busy in the fast lane of life, that we forget to slow down and take the scenic route. But this weekend, as we soaked in the beauty of the heron on the lake, the beautiful sunset and the camaraderie of like-minded women opening up to share their truths, we took time to stop, pause and regroup.

We’d put ourselves first for a change, and as someone said, we “walked into lives.”

Monday, June 01, 2009

In a recent editorial in the magazine Entrepreneur, Editor-in-Chief Amy Cooper, observed that in today’s economy, brilliance is the new bail out.

She is constantly asked about what is different about starting a business in this economy vs. a non-recession year? Her answer – nothing. As she rightly points out, it still takes a great idea, finances, a business plan, sweat equity and “a level of courage you can’t grasp until you’ve tried.”

However to succeed, she advises, you need to outdo yourself. Now is not time to be cautious, to hunker in and do the “same old, same old.” Now, she suggests is the time to be truly entrepreneurial, to take risks – OK, calculated risks – and as she says “to zig when everyone else is zagging.”

About Me

Originally from Scotland, I emigrated to Canada over 30 years ago. I've had an eclectic career from running non-profit organizations, working for government on women's issues, to being editor of a magazine.

For past ten years have been running Company of Women, an organization that supports and connects women entrepreneurs.